Mechanism for capturing freed lint and other particles



March s, 1945. B LEV 2,370,865

MECHANISM FOR CAPTURING FREED LINT AND OTHER PARTICLES Filed April 19,1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mrch e, 1945. B. LEV 2,370,865

MECHANISM FOR CAPTURING FREED LINT AND OTHER PARTICLES Filed April 19',194:4 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 .a drive upon means which are Patented Mar. 6,1,945

l 2,370,865 MECHANISM Fon CAPTURING FREED Lm'r! AND OTHER PAn'rIoLEsBenjamin Lev, Chicago, Ill. Application April 19, 1944, serial Ng.531,844`

'I'his invention relates to a device for capturing and disposing of lintor other loose particles that are freed from a fabric pile as the resultof a cutting operation.A More particularly, the present improvements areconcerned with the addition to a conventional fabric cutting machine ofa lint capturing mechanism operating on the `vacuum principle wherebythe freed lint is drawn into a 'mouthpiece adjacent the cutting knife,and

thence through a conduitinto a collecting receptacle. The operatingparts for such a system include a take-off drive from the motorfwhichoperates the cutting knife, the mounting of such attached to andsupported by the motor casing, and the provision of an impeller inconnection with the take-01T drive, the impeller being locatedin achamber so that lint and other particles passing therethrough wil1 beeducted directly through a. discharge opening into a collectingreceptacle. Also, all the components of such -a system Y are so mountedupon the cutting machineas not tointerfere in any way with its normaloperation during which it is guidingly moved through a pile of fabrics,and not to interfere with adjustment of its presser foot which isnormally rested upon the top of the fabric pile under treatment. Thebenefits and advantages to needs no elaboration; the menace to-health`of such particles when loose in the air surrounding a fabric cuttingmachine is such that any solution, partial or otherwise, ofv the'problemmust be acclaimedatrue blessing. l y

These highly desirable ends are effectively accomplished by themechanism illustratedv in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fabric cutting machine equipped withthe presentA lint capturing means; Fig. 2 is a detail in verticalsection, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;Fig.`4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 o'fFig, 1; and Fig. 5is a detail in perspective of the presser foot with induction mouthpieceattached.

The fabric cutting machine, here shown, may be conventional to the'extent of having afbase I0 supporting an upstanding post II upon whichisl mounted a vertically reciprocable knife I2 motoroperated by suitablemeans housed with a casing l5. The forward edge of the base maybechamfered at I6 to promote advance of the cutting machine through a pileof fabrics' thatare to be cut, usually in accordance with a desiredpattern. A handle I1 is extended rearwardly at a attendants and work-`men of capturing and disposing of vfreed lint 1; Fig. 3 is a similar 45releasably'connected thereto at that point.`

The conduit extends from they cap to connect vwith a fitting 50 which-joins with a bifurcated' ing an impeller `35 Figs. 1 and 2) pint underthe the cuttingmachine through these movements, and at the casing top isaixed a lifting handle I8 whereby to facilitateportability ofthemachine.

The r,lint capturing .mechanismof this invenf tion comprises a mainhousing20 `which may be built on or afxed to the `rear end ofther/motorl casing, .this vhousingbeing upwardly extended therefrom asshown in Figs. 1 and'3. The motor shaft 2| whichis extended on into .thehousing y is rotatably supported nearits end in a .ball race-V l way'22, the shaft continuing on through the hous ing for projectiontherebeyond where itsend is fitted with an adjusting wheel 23. Carriedfastonthe shaft is a pulley 25 over which'isftrained a transmission'belt 26 running over-a second pulley 21 .that is aiixed .to av drivenshaft 28-in the upper part of the housing. This driven-shaft isjournaled for rotation in ball raceways 30 and 3|, the former carried ina bearing plate V32 thatv is ldetachably mounted on the housing on itsforward side andthe latter in, a seat 33thatis provided on the wall 34of thehousing opposite4 thereto. The driven shaft .which isextended`lrearwardly through wall 34r carries fast on its outer end a blowerhavblowerbeingen'cased :within a separate. chamber 3B that is detachablymounted on the housing 270.1.

The outer wall 31 of the blower chamber 7 is formedwith la large' faxial opening surrounded byy cam devices 38 ywith which may cooperateelements 39 that lproject radially from a cap Min whose periphery is ahole from which is extended which v a fiexible `conduit V42` is into thecap will be forcibly dischargedthrough ar lateral opening 43 in theblower chamber (see for deposit within a Vcollecting receptacle such asa bag 45 that is operatively and presserfoot 5! that is mounted forvertical adjustment upon thepost H to rest upon the top of the fabricvpile that is to'be cut. As by ak motor casingto assistin guiding y anopening .in thishousing of. approvedfcharacter, this' v those workingnear a provide a mouthpiece having aninduction slot 55 which is wide andnarrow, located close to and opposite the cutting edge of the knife (seeFig. fi) so as to draw in, by suction, the lint and other freedparticles that are loose in the air at that point. Since in any cuttingoperation there is much lint that is freed into the air, the machinefind it a serious health menace, requiring oftentimes that they ceasework after a few hours. In addition, such freed lint tends to work itsway into the machine and its motor, with ficulties are overcomesatisfactorily by use of the present mechanism all t` e loose lintthrough the conduit and into the collecting receptacle for periodicdisposal therefrom.

It will be observed that the parts entering into my lint capturingmechanism require no modifications in the cutting machine itself, nor isits preseric'e,` as an addition to the machine, any detriment orimpediment in its operation. The take-off' drive'requires simply alonger motor sha-ft for' connection will 'a transmission system wherebyan impeller in a separate chamber may be operated atr relatively highspeed. All the parts are furthermore readily accessible for servicingorreplacement, as occasion may require.

lliclaiinz l 1. For use with ar fabric1 cutting machine in which is apresser-foot adjacent a reciprocable knife together with loperatirig*means therefor including a motor 4ha ""ng a shaft and an enclosing'casing-ea lint' capturingmechanism cornv prising a housing carried bythemotor casing extended laterally thereof, the ing'extended into thecasing within the housing one `'mounted fast on the motor shaft, adriven shaft, journaled for' rotation iiirtheliousing, mounting thelksecond pulley, 'a belt running over both pulleys to trans-mit r'otarymovements operated byv the driven shaft, means carriedby the' housingproviding achamber for the blower having inlet 'andoutlet openings, acollecting receptacle 'at the chamber outlet opening, an inductionmouthpiece carried by the machine at a point adjacent the knife, and aconduit intercorlnecting the mouthpiece and inlet opening of the blowerchamber for conducting loose particles therethrough and into thecollecting recer'ii'acle in response to minus pressure created by theblower.

2, For use with a fabric cutting machine in which isa reciprocable knifetogether with operating means therefor including a motor having motorshaft bewhichl eductsV practically f injurious results. These difprovidea closure apair of pulleys to the driven shaft, a blower .a conduitextendedfroin the mouthpiece a shaft and an enclosing cas'ng-a lintcapturing mechanism comprising a housing carried by the motor casingextended laterally thereof and formed with an opening at a point beyondthe motor casing, a plate mounting a bearing removably affixed to thehousing over its opening, to provide a closure therefor, the housingwall opposite the opening being provided with an opposite opening with asurrounding bearing, walls defining a chamber removably aiixed to thehousing wall traversed by the last named opening, a blower shaftjournaled for rotation in both bearings and extended through the wallopening into the chamber therebeyond, the chamber walls being providedwith an inlet opening' opposite the shaft end and a discharge openinglaterally of the'chamber, a cap having a lateral opening removably afxedto the chamber to for its axial opening, a blower carried by the blowershaft for rotation within the" chamber, means within the housingproviding a power transmissionbetween the motor shaft and blower shaftwherebyv the blower is operated by the motor, an induction mouthpiecesupportedA adjacent the reciprocablel knife, and to the lateral openingof the hub to conduct lint to the blower chamber and out through itsdischargeopening.

3`.`For use with a fabric cutting machine in which is a reciprocableknife together with operating means therefor including a motor having ashaft and an enclosing casing-a lint capturing `mechanism comprising ahousing carried by the motor casing'extended laterally thereof andsupporting two companion bearings therein, there being a hole axially ofthe bearings through one wall of the housing at a point laterally of themotor casing and an enclosing chamber upon the opposite side of saidwall, a blower shaft journaled for rotation in the bearings and extendedinto the chamber, a blower carried on the shaft for rotation within thechamber through whose walls inlet and outlet openings are formed, meansproviding a power transmission within the" housing extending betweenthe' motor shaft and blower shaft whereby the blower is operated by themotor, a conduit leading from a point" adjacent the knife to the inletopening of the chamber adapted to conduct freed lint thereinto and outthrough the outlet opening, and separate'means removably attached to thehousing affording full opening access, when disconnected therefrom, toeither the blower or to the shaft therefor.

` y BENJAMIN LEV.

